I will extol You, my God, O King, and I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will praise Your name forever and ever. Psalm 145:1-2 NASB Every day – How does the Twelve Step phrase go? “It works if you work it.” Defeating the yetzer ha’ra…
Many are saying of me, “God will not deliver him.” But you, Lord, are a shield around me, Psalm 3:2-3a NIV Many – “Many are saying.” But who? Whose voices are telling us that God will not deliver us? If I listen very carefully, I know those voices. I have heard them before—many times. It…
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, 1 Peter 1:14 Lusts – OK, so let’s tone this down a bit. The Greek word is epithymia. Yes, it can mean “lust” but if we read it like this, we are likely to dismiss Peter’s comment as…
And this is the condemnation: that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John 3:19 KJV Evil – Jewish psychology revolves around the power to choose. In spite of the fact that Freud was a Jew, the Jewish theology of the self is not…
“If one goes to defile himself, openings are made for him; and he who goes to purify himself, help is afforded him.” Tractate Shabbat 104a Openings – Recently a man in China asked me to pray for him. He was having violent dreams and he was afraid that those dreams would cause him to act violently….
Now flee youthful lusts, and pursue after righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:22 NASB Pursue after – Something makes you do it. You don’t want to, but at the moment when you should say, “No,” something just overtakes you and you end…
My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 1 John 2:1 NASB May not sin – Seriously now, can John actually mean this? Does John really think it is possible to not sin? …
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, Isaiah 1:16 ESV Clean – God instructs His people to “wash” themselves. He demands ritual purity and the submission that accompanies humility before Him. We might think this is sufficient. If we just worship the Lord…
“As for you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve Him with a whole heart and a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts, and understands every intent of the thoughts. If you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will reject you…
and lovingkindness is Yours, O Lord, for You recompense a man according to his work. Psalm 62:12 NASB Recompense – At what hour of the day were you hired? Ah, you’re immediately transported to that parable about the graciousness of God. You know; the one where the master hires workers at all hours of the…
